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United States Patent |
5,044,071
|
Toda
,   et al.
|
September 3, 1991
|
Manufacturing method for taping electronic component
Abstract
A method of manufacturing a tape of finished electronic components in which
the components project laterally from the tape and are supported on the
tape by long leads of the electronic components. An electronic component
set is prepared constituted by a plurality of electronic component bodies,
a lead terminal member having an elongated connecting member and a
plurality of groups of laterally extending lead terminals spaced at
intervals along the connecting member, one group per component body. All
but one of the lead terminals in each group are cut at a position to
separate the lead terminals other than the one lead terminal from the
connecting member. The electrical properties of the electronic bodies are
then measured through the respective terminals, and then the one uncut
lead terminal is cut to separate semi-finished electronic components. The
free ends of the lead terminals of the semi-finished electronic components
are attached to the tape, and then only some of the lead terminals of the
respective semi-finished electronic components are cut between the tape
and the electronic component bodies for forming short lead terminals to
produce finished electronic components having some short lead terminals,
with the finished electronic components supported along the tape by the
remaining lead terminals which, when they are cut to separate the
electronic components from the tape, become long lead terminals of the
finished electronic components.
Inventors:
|
Toda; Yasuhiko (Nagaokakyo, JP);
Hatta; Moriyuki (Nagaokakyo, JP);
Okamoto; Masao (Nagaokakyo, JP);
Matsui; Katsuyoshi (Nagaokakyo, JP)
|
Assignee:
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Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Nagaokakyo, JP)
|
Appl. No.:
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504135 |
Filed:
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April 3, 1990 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S. Class: |
29/827; 174/52.2; 257/668; 438/111 |
Intern'l Class: |
H01R 043/00 |
Field of Search: |
29/827
174/52.2,52.4
437/206
357/69,70
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
4331740 | May., 1982 | Burns | 29/827.
|
4466183 | Aug., 1984 | Burns | 29/827.
|
4653174 | Mar., 1987 | Gilder, Jr. et al. | 29/827.
|
4778564 | Oct., 1988 | Emamjomeh et al. | 29/827.
|
4812421 | Mar., 1989 | Jung et al. | 29/827.
|
Primary Examiner: Arbes; Carl J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of manufacturing a tape of finished electronic components
having long and short leads and in which the components project laterally
from the tape and are supported on the tape by the long leads of the
electronic components, comprising the steps, in the recited order, of:
preparing an electronic component set constituted by a plurality of
electronic component bodies, a lead terminal member having an elongated
connecting member and a plurality of lead terminals integral therewith and
extending laterally from the connecting member and spaced at intervals
along the length of the connecting member, said lead terminals being in
groups with an electronic component body attached to each group of lead
terminals;
cutting the lead terminals other than at least one designated lead terminal
in each group at a position to separated the lead terminals the designated
lead terminal from said connecting member;
measuring the electrical properties of each of said electronic bodies
between the designated lead terminal still attached to said connecting
member and the respective lead terminals which have been cut;
cutting the designated lead terminals for separating the electronic
component bodies and lead terminals from said connecting member to form
semi-finished electronic components, said respective cutting steps being
carried out for cutting the lead terminals to a length at least slightly
longer than the length of the longest lead terminal of a finished
electronic component;
securing the semi-finished electronic components to a tape at desired
intervals along said tape by attaching the free ends of the lead terminals
of the semi-finished electronic components to the tape; and
cutting only some of the lead terminals of the respective semi-finished
electronic components between the tape and the electronic component bodies
for forming short lead terminals; whereby there is produced finished
electronic components having said some short lead terminals, and the
finished electronic components are supported along said tape by the lead
terminals remaining after the short lead terminals and which, when they
are cut to separate the electronic components from the tape, become the
long lead terminals of the finished electronic components.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a manufacturing method for manufacturing a tape
with electronic components thereon, and more particularly to a
manufacturing method for such a tape in which a number of electronic
components having long lead terminals and short lead terminals are secured
at appointed intervals to a long tape by means of said long lead terminals
fixed thereto.
PRIOR ART
Conventionally, such a tape of electronic components is used in which a
number of electronic components are secured at appointed intervals to a
long tape by means of the lead terminals thereof in such a manner that the
electronic components having a plurality of lead terminals can be
automatically inserted into a printed-wiring substrate by an automatic
insertion machine.
This kind of tape of electronic components has conventionally been
manufactured according to the explanatory drawing of a process shown in
FIGS. 6-9 and the method explained below.
First, electronic component 11 is prepared as shown in FIG. 6. The set 11
is so constructed that a plurality of electronic component bodies 15 are
fixed to lead terminal member 14 by integrally forming a number of lead
terminals 13 in a row in the direction of length of a long connecting
member 12 made of metal plate along one side edge thereof.
In other words, in lead terminal member 14, out of a number of lead
terminals 13, groups are formed which are constituted by a plurality of
adjacent lead terminals 13 and an electronic component body 15 is fixed to
each group at the ends of the terminals 13.
The body 15 can be, for example, a hybrid integrated circuit, an R network
and the like comprising an insulating substrate having a wiring pattern
formed thereon, and after being fixed to lead terminals, an insulating
coating is applied as the occasion demands.
Next, in electronic component set 11 having such a construction, lead
terminals 13, except an appointed terminal 13a, having respective
electronic component bodies 15 fixed thereto are cut at positions shown by
dotted lines A--A' and B--B' near connecting member 12. By so doing, the
electronic component sets 11' are obtained each having a plurality of lead
terminals 13b which have been separated from connecting member 12 as shown
in FIG. 7. The lead terminal 13a still linked to connecting member 12
extends out from, for example, a common lead in the wiring pattern.
In these electronic component sets 11', electric properties of the
electronic component body 15 can be measured between lead terminal 13a
linked to connecting member 12 and respective lead terminals 13b separated
from the member 12.
Subsequently, the lead terminal 13a and some cf lead terminals 13b are cut
at a position shown by dotted line H--H' near electronic component body 15
in such a manner that the lead terminals thus cut may have, for example,
pointed ends. By so doing, a number of electronic components 16 separate
from connecting member 12 are obtained, each having long lead terminals
13b and shorter ones 13c as shown in FIG. 8.
Then, as shown in FIG. 9, electronic components 16 are secured to tape 17
at a desired pitch by means of longer lead terminals 13b fixed to long
tape 17 at end portions thereof over which adhesive tape 18 is applied, to
thereby obtain a tape of electronic components 19. Numeral 20 designates
perforations formed at a desired pitch in tape 17 and adhesive tape 18.
The conventional tape of electronic components 19 manufactured in the way
described above is fed into an automatic insertion machine by feed pins
engaged with perforations 20 formed in tape 17 and adhesive tape 18. The
lead terminals 13b fixed to tape 17 of the tape of electronic components
19 having been fed to the automatic insertion machine are cut at a
position shown by dotted line I--I' near tape 17 in FIG. 9 in such a way
that lead terminals thus cut may have, for example, pointed ends, whereby
electronic component 16 is separated from tape 17.
The lead terminals of electronic component 16 thus separated are inserted
by the next movement of the automatic insertion machine into feedthrough
holes in a printed-wiring substrate (not shown). As shown in FIG. 9, lead
terminals 13b are cut along dotted line I--I' so that electronic component
16 has long lead terminals 13b and shorter terminals 13c. As a result,
when terminals 13b and 13c are inserted into feedthrough holes in a
printed-wiring substrate, long lead terminals 13b are first inserted,
followed by shorter terminals 13c, to thereby facilitate insertion of lead
terminals compared with the case where all the lead terminals are of the
same length, into the printed-wiring substrate.
The printing-wiring substrate having the electronic component 16 inserted
therein is dipped into molten solder whereby lead terminals 13b and 13c
are soldered to appointed wiring patterns. But prior to soldering, longer
lead terminals 13b are bent by bending fingers of the automatic insertion
machine on the back side of the printed-wiring substrate to thereby
temporarily secure electronic component 16 to the wiring substrate.
In the tape of electronic components 19 shown in FIG. 9, electronic
component 16 thereof is fixed to the printed-wiring substrate by means of
movement of the automatic insertion machine described above. In order to
fix an electronic component different from the component 16 having a
different number of lead terminals to a wiring substrate by the same
automatic insertion machine, it is necessary to keep constant the number
of longer lead terminals 13b fixed to tape 17 shown in FIG. 9. For that
purpose, it becomes necessary for electronic component 16 to be provided
with two kinds of lead terminals: long lead terminals 13b to be fixed to
the tape and shorter ones 13c not fixed thereto as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.
PROBLEM SOLVED BY THE INVENTION
In the conventional method of manufacturing a tape of electronic components
19 described above, the electric properties of each electronic component
body 15 are measured when the electronic component set 11' is as shown in
FIG. 7 and thereafter, the set 11' is transferred to the next process. On
this occasion, by utilizing perforations h formed in connecting member 12
or projecting plates (not shown) likewise formed on the member 12 after
separation of lead terminals 13 therefrom, the electronic component set
11' is transferred intermittently.
Hence, a problem has occurred, in that in transferring an electronic
component set 11', electronic component body 15 is pressed in the
direction of the tape length by external force due to being touched by
other members to thereby cause lead terminal 13a linked to connecting
member 12 to bend, with the result that the position of electronic
component body 15 is shifted in the same plane from the regular position
thereof with the bent portion of terminal 13a as a supporting point.
When electronic component body 15 is shifted from the regular position in
this way, the cutting position for cutting the lead terminals shown by
dotted line H--H' in FIG. 7 is also shifted, while the position of a
cutter for cutting the lead terminals remains unchanged. Thus, another
problem is caused in that there is an error in the length of lead
terminals 13c as compared with those in FIG. 8 after lead terminals 13a
and 13b have been cut using a cutter, whereby the desired value is not
obtained, causing the rate of production of inferior quality electronic
components 16 to be raised.
OBJECT AND BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a method for
manufacturing a tape of electronic components which overcomes the problems
described above, wherein cutting and formation of shorter lead terminals
is conducted after securing lead terminals to a tape to thereby increase
the precision of the cutting process for the lead terminals so that the
rate of production of inferior quality electronic components can be
reduced.
In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention has
provided a method of manufacturing composed of the following steps (a)-(f)
in the recited order.
(a) Preparing an electronic component set constituted by a plurality of
electronic components and a lead terminal member having a number of lead
terminals arranged in a row at one side edge of a long connecting member
with groups of lead terminals each holding an electronic component body;
that is, out of a number of lead terminals on said lead terminal member,
groups are formed of a plurality of successive lead terminals in a row and
an electronic component body is fixed to each group.
(b) Cutting lead terminals of each group, except at least one selected lead
terminal having a respective electronic component body fixed thereto, at a
desired position to separate them from the connecting member.
(c) Measuring the electric properties of the respective electronic
component bodies between the lead terminal still attached to the
connecting member and the lead terminals separated from the connecting
member.
(d) Cutting from the electronic component set a number of electronic
components each having a plurality of lead terminals by cutting those lead
terminals still attached to the connecting member at the same position as
the other lead terminals were cut to separate the components from the long
connecting member.
(e) Securing respective electronic components to a tape at a desired pitch
by fixing to a long tape the plurality of lead terminals of each
component.
(f) Cutting at a desired position a plurality of lead terminals of
respective electronic components, except for certain terminals, for
separating said plurality of terminals from the tape.
According to the manufacturing method of the present invention, it is only
the lead terminals still attached to the connecting member that require
cutting in the step immediately after measurement of the electrical
properties of the electronic component body. In addition, all the lead
terminals of each component are fixed to the tape and thereafter certain
lead terminals are cut to be separated from the tape to thereby obtain the
shorter lead terminals. Thus, even when an electric component body is
shifted with the electronic component set, that shift does not cause any
problem.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1-5 are explanatory views showing steps in the method of
manufacturing components according to the present invention in the order
of carrying out the steps; and
FIGS. 6-9 are explanatory views showing steps in the method of
manufacturing a conventional tape of electronic components in the order of
carrying out the steps.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Examples of the method of manufacturing a tape of electronic components
according to the present invention are hereinafter explained in detail
referring to the drawings.
First, electronic component set 1 is prepared as shown in FIG. 1. The set 1
is constituted by a number of electronic component bodies 5 fixed to lead
terminal member 4 in turn constituted by a row of a plurality of lead
terminals 3 provided integrally along one side edge of a long connecting
member 2 made of a metal plate in the direction of the length thereof.
On lead terminal member 4 are formed several groups of lead terminals 3
each comprising a plurality of successive lead terminals 3 and an
electronic component body 5 is mounted on each group of lead terminals.
The body 5 can be, for example, a hybrid integrated circuit, an R network
and the like having an insulating substrate with, for example, a wiring
pattern thereon, and after being fixed to lead terminals 3, an insulation
coating may be applied thereto if necessary.
Next, in the electronic component set 1 constituted as described above, the
lead terminals 3 for each respective electronic component body 5 other
than at least one designated lead terminal 3a are cut (one terminal is
shown in the drawing, but a plurality of terminals can be left uncut) at
desired positions, for example, along dotted lines A--A' and B--B' near
connecting member 2 to seaparate the lead terminals 3 from connecting
member 2 to form an electronic component set 1' as shown in FIG. 2 in
which each electronic component 5 has a plurality of lead terminals 3b
separated from connecting member 2 and at least one designed lead terminal
3a still attached thereto. Lead terminal 3a still attached to connecting
member 2 extends from, for example, a common lead of the wiring pattern of
the electronic component.
Then, in the electronic component set 1', the electrical properties of
electronic component bodies 5 are measured between lead terminal 3a still
attached to connecting member 2 and respective lead terminals 3b separated
therefrom. The steps described up to now are the same as in the
conventional method described hereinbefore.
Next, designated lead terminals 3a still attached to connecting member 2 as
shown in FIG. 2 are cut at the position of dotted line C--C' near
connecting member 2, at substantially the same position as dotted line
A--A' in FIG. 1, whereby there is produced a number of semi-finished
electronic components 6 separate from connecting member 2 and each having
a plurality of lead terminals 3b of substantially the same length, as
shown in FIG. 3.
In this step, lead terminal 3a need not be cut at dotted line C--C', but
may be cut at other positions. However, in cutting lead terminal 3a, other
lead terminals 3b already separated from connecting member 2 should
likewise be cut simultaneously to the same length as lead terminal 3a.
It is important in this step, however, to make the respective lead
terminals at least slightly longer than the length of the longest terminal
of the finished electronic component 6', described hereinafter, in order
to meet the requirements for the steps to follow.
As shown in FIG. 4, the semi-finished electronic components 6 are secured
to a long tape 7 at a desired pitch by fixing all of the lead terminals 3b
of each component 6 to said tape by an adhesive tape 8 applied over the
ends of the leads. Lead terminals 3b may be fixed to tape 7 without using
the adhesive tape 8, by inserting lead terminals 3b into perforations
formed in the tape 7. Numeral 9 designates perforations formed in tape 7
and adhesive tape 8 on the pitch for engagement by pins on a driving wheel
or the like.
Then some of the lead terminals 3b of respective semi-finished electronic
components 6 are cut along dotted lines D--D' near electronic component
body 5 and E--E' near tape 7 to separate them from tape 7 and to produce
short lead terminals 3c ', while leaving some of the lead terminals 3b
uncut so as to leave the component body 5 attached to the tape 7 by the
uncut leads 3b, thus forming a tape 10 of finished electronic components
6' as shown in FIG. 5. Cutting lead terminals along line D--D' can be
conducted in such a way that the lead terminals have pointed ends as
shown, for example, in FIG. 5.
Respective finished electronic components 6' on the tape 10 of electronic
components thus obtained are thereby provided with long lead terminals 3b
and shorter ones 3c, as is conventional. However, because the cutting of
the short lead terminals 3c is not done until all the long lead terminals
3b of the semi-finished component 6 are secured to the tape 7, there is no
possibility of their being cut to the wrong length or different lengths
because of the component body being shifted from its normal position
relative to the connecting member 2, as in the prior art.
The tape of electronic components 6' manufactured by the above-described
process is fed into an automatic insertion machine by engaging feed pins
with perforations 9 of tape 7 and adhesive tape 8 in a conventional way.
Then lead terminals 3b fixed to tape 7 are out along dotted line I--I'
near tape 7 in FIG. 4, whereby electronic component 6' is separated from
tape 7. The electronic component 6' thus separated is fixed to a
printed-wiring substrate by the automatic insertion machine in the
conventional way. As with lead terminals 3c ', lead terminals 3b can be
given pointed ends.
In the method of manufacturing tape of electronic components described in
the above-described examples of the present invention, left over lead
terminal pieces 3d remain on tape 7 when short lead terminals 3c are
formed, which sometimes cause hindrance to smooth insertion of tape 10 of
electronic components into the automatic insertion machine. Accordingly,
it is preferable for the dimension G, from the upper end of lead terminal
piece 3d to tape 7, to be within a range of, for example, 0.5-2.0 mm.
The respective numbers of long and short lead terminals 3b and 3c of
finished electronic component 6' obtained by the method of the present
invention are not limited to those shown in the examples. Moreover, short
lead terminals 3c may be formed between longer lead terminals 3b.
By carrying out the method for manufacturing a tape of electronic
components according to the present invention as described above with the
steps in the order described, precision in the size of lead terminals can
be improved to thereby reduce the rate of manufacturing of inferior
electronic components.
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